Why Your Should Try The Atkins Diet Plan

 

One of the more well-known and well-studied diet plans is the Atkins plan. At its core the Atkins diet is a high protein, low carbohydrate diet plan that has a high level of animal fat in the foods offered. Some medical authorities have questioned the amount of meat and fat that is offered through this plan but millions of people have had success in losing and keeping off excess weight by following closely the Atkins formula. There are quite a few studies that have shown that by dramatically reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed will allow your body to burn excess fat, leading to both short term and long term weight loss. By adding proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients to meals, there are also results that show improved blood pressure levels, a raising of “good” cholesterol levels and increased energy level. Some studies have shown a decrease in LDL cholesterol levels “called bad cholesterol” but this has not been as consistent in all studies.

Does The Atkins Diet Work?

Despite having been available as a recognized diet plan, Atkins still has some contradictory evidence and is still being studied by many medical colleges. While some differing results have been shown by some studies, the Atkins diet and lifestyle plan has been shown to offer its users some valuable weight loss and health improvements when followed faithfully. Because of the ability to eat many favorite foods, such as steak and pork, many people find this type of diet to be an easy one to get started on and then to stay on for an extended period of time.

One of the more attractive features of the Atkins plan is that the food you get to eat, such as eggs, butter, cheese, red meat, will actually help your body to start burning fat. You are replacing certain types of calories that are found in carbohydrates, calories that are considered empty. By eliminating starches, sugars and carbs you are forcing your body to stop burning carbs for energy. Your system is then forced to turn to another power source, fat, and begin to burn that for its energy. This process is called ketosis and it is the process that will have your body burning fat cells, leading to serious and long term weight loss.

One Benefit: Lower Food Costs

One often ignored benefit of an Atkins plan is that many people find that their overall food costs can go down. Because you are no longer eating processed foods and are concentrating on protein-heavy foods you can enjoy some major savings. Breads, sugars and starches tend to be expensive, especially when they are used in prepared meals. While meats, fruits and vegetables can be expensive you have much more control over what you are preparing and can eliminate a lot of unwanted expense. A common, but potentially harmful, side effect of going on a diet is that people tend to pick and choose parts of a diet that sound easy, ignoring the fact that a good diet plan is a full lifestyle change. This can happen with an Atkins plan if people just look at eating cheese, meat and butter. That may sound fun, and easy to do for a while, but it ignores completely the importance of vitamins and nutrients that are found in the fruits and vegetables that are in the plan. Plant proteins, such as those found in nuts, are a key part of a healthy Atkins plan. 

 

Should You Try The Atkins Diet?

Should you try an Atkins diet plan? Will this protein rich, carb free food plan actually help you lose weight and get healthier? For most people the results are very positive but it is not a magic formula. As with any diet plan, you will need to add some physical activity to your routine to enjoy all of the benefits of an Atkins diet. You will also need to pay close attention to what foods you eat, especially when you are looking at the carbohydrate levels in some food that claim to be low carb. Many people struggle with the idea that some fruits are fine with this diet but others are not acceptable, at least during the first few months.    The Atkins diet and lifestyle plan has a large, loyal following that swear by the results and have stayed with some style of the plan even after they have reached their weight loss goals. On the other side of this is a group who dislike the plan because of its use of fats and red meat as staples, although there are now many options that use less fat and more plant proteins. There is a large retail offering of Atkins products, from snack bars and shakes to full entrees. Most major supermarkets and online retailers offer a wide assortment of Atkins food product. No diet plan is perfect and no diet plan works for everyone. Atkins has been shown to work well for millions of dieters and has a good support system for those who try the plan. It is well worth checking out if you are hoping to lose weight and keep it off.

Atkins Cauliflower Risotto Recipe-Delicious!

 

One of the key aspects of an Atkins diet is giving up starches, such as pasta, potatoes and rice. Many of us are used to having a starch with most meals, whether it is bread or a rice side dish. Luckily there are some excellent recipes that are low carb and can recreate the taste and texture of many of your favorite starches. This cauliflower risotto recipe is one of our favorites. Ricing cauliflower is quite simple and the results are delicious. Use your food processor, set on pulse and add the florets and stems until you have a rice-like mixture. Don't over pulse, there is a lot of water in cauliflower and the end result of over-pulsing can be mush. I like to remove the mixture after each batch is the consistency that I like, then go on to another batch. Onions can be substituted for the shallots but you may want to add another tablespoon to the mixture. This is a perfect recipe to add some wild mushrooms to. Slice the mushrooms thin, saute in olive oil (or butter), salt and pepper lightly and add to the finished risotto. This recipe contains less than 3 grams of carbs.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp chopped Shallots
• 1/2 cup Bouillon Vegetable Broth
• 2 tbsps Heavy Cream
• 2 tbsps Parsley
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (Grated)

If using frozen cauliflower, thaw and drain thoroughly

DIRECTIONS

1. Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until they are the size of grains of rice.
2. In a skillet over medium heat cook shallots in the olive oil until tender.
3. Add cauliflower and toss to coat; add vegetable stock and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Add cream, chopped parsley and cheese.
5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

The result is a dish that is creamy, high in fiber and delicious!  

The Atkins Diet

About 40 years ago, Robert Atkins created a low carb diet that still carries his name today. The Atkins diet is one of the most well known, and most followed, diets that people work with. While it was considered a fad diet to begin with, it is now regularly recommended by doctors and nutritionists as a good plan to follow when you want to lose weight. [gallery ids="43,44,45"]

Atkins Versus Mediterranean Diet

While both diets pay attention to carbohydrate intake, the Atkins diet allows red meat and dairy while a Mediterranean diet concentrates more on fruits, vegetables and fish. Nutritionally a Mediterranean plan is more balanced and probably more heart-healthy, but Atkins users have had rapid and noticeable weight loss. The plans are very different in their meal planning. Low carb diets, like Atkins, are designed to change how your body gets its energy. Usually your body will burn carbs to produce energy, not fat. By starving your body of carb, your system turns to fat for energy and this is where weight loss will come from. Studies have shown that this type of diet can be more successful with long term weight loss than just counseling and behavior management. It, like most diets, works best with an exercise program started at the same time. This type of weight loss tends to be more permanent and the health benefits are more noticeable.

Health Benefits

Generally, excess weight is a negative for your body. Too much weight can lead to high blood pressure (and hyper tension), heart problems and the possible onset of diabetes. Low carb diets like Atkins have been successful in reducing hyper-tension and helping to reduce or eliminated diabetes symptoms. This diet also reduces sugar intake and benefits from this are also seen early in the diet process. Overall energy levels tend to increase as your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates. Adding an exercise program helps as well to increase energy and improve your general health. Because of some of the restrictions on certain types of food, it is recommended that you consult with your health professional and pay close attention to your vitamin intake.

What Can You Eat?

  Atkins diets start off with a lot of green vegetables, meat and dairy. This may sound wonderful but it does require some discipline in meal preparation. Most dairy is allowed (milk, cheese, butter) as well as red meat and fish. There are no starches (a key source of carbs) so you will be giving up bread, rice, pasta and potatoes.   Surprisingly, some desserts are allowed with this diet, but not the usual suspects. No cake or doughnuts, no cookies or ice cream. There are some interesting dessert options using ricotta and sugar substitute that can really help to handle any sugar cravings. Some of the cookbooks we reviewed have wonderful salad and entree recipes that will help keep boredom from setting in.  

Ready Made Foods

Following an Atkins diet can be easier than some other diet plans due to the wide variety of ready made food options that you can pick up at your local grocery store. Some of the meal selections are very good and the snack and drink options are spectacular. The protein-rich shake is thick, creamy and can be served cold. The snack bars are great treats to have on hand. Low in carbs, they help to satisfy not only any hunger pangs but also to help with those times you just have to have a sweet.

Does This Diet Work?

Yes, but like any diet it will take work and discipline. Many people like Atkins because so many of their favorite foods (steak, hamburger, cheese) are allowed. Some find the meals dull and heavy, it does take some creativity to plan meals that have flavor and variety. At the start, your body goes into a ketosis state. This can lead to some indigestion and even bad breath. This state passes soon but it can be a few days before all the symptoms disappear. Nutritionally the diet is not as sound as a Mediterranean or DASH diet but careful planning and the addition of vitamins can offset any shortcomings.